Movable wall panels are often used to divide an area into two or more regions. For example, movable wall panels are employed in schools, hotels, and convention centers to divide a large room into two or more smaller rooms. Another common use of movable wall panels is the formation of individual shop fronts within a mall. Clear glass panels are typically stored during business hours to produce a wide-open storefront, and are disposed in front of the storefront during off-business hours while permitting the viewing of merchandise. Alternatively, the clear glass panels may be disposed in front of the storefront during business hours if desired, and a single panel may be configured to pivot to provide access, for example during inclement weather.
Movable wall panel systems typically include several components, such as wall panels, trolleys coupled to the wall panels, and tracks within which the trolleys can slide to displace the wall panels. The wall panels often are large planar structures that may be separate or attached to one another end-to-end. Many modern applications of wall panel systems utilize separate wall panels in order to allow greater versatility than systems employing wall panels that are attached end-to-end.
Mechanisms may be included that allow a sliding panel to be converted into a pivoting panel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,648 to Kordes discloses a door or wall partition panel that includes a unit for swinging and sliding the panel. The panel is pivotally coupled to a movable carrier that is suspended from a rail by a plurality of suspensions. A floor lock is included on a lower portion of the panel that provides for selectively locking and unlocking the door to at a specific location. The floor lock also provides a hinging function for the swinging movement of the door when it is in the locked position. A fixing and locking unit is also included on the upper portion of the panel that is configured to selectively lock relative motion between the rail and the carrier and between the panel and the carrier. The fixing and locking unit includes two independent lock mechanisms, one that selectively prevents translation of the panel along the rail and another that selectively prevents pivoting motion of the panel relative to the carrier. The independence of the lock mechanisms provides a significant disadvantage for the fixing and locking unit because a user is required to employ the proper sequence of locking and unlocking the unit in order to avoid damaging the panel.
Another example of a mechanism that allows a sliding panel to be converted into a pivoting panel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,085,065 to Speicher. The sliding panel is supported from a carrier that is movable on a track by hangers that extend between the carrier and a supporting bar. The supporting bar is coupled to the door by a hinge connection adjacent a first end and a pin adjacent a second end. A retractable latch mechanism extends between the door and the carrier that may be used to lock the carrier relative to a doorjam so that it is prevented from sliding. The latch mechanism includes mating coupling members that allow a portion of the latch mechanism coupled to the door to be disengaged from a portion coupled to the carrier. Disengagement of those portions along with removal of the pin allows the door to be pivoted relative to the supporting bar about the hinge connection.
A significant disadvantage of the known lock mechanisms is that they require multiple operations that must be performed by a user in proper order to operate correctly and to avoid damaging the wall panel.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lock mechanism that requires a user to perform a single step to properly operate the mechanism.